Match Report
True to his word Ian McCall freshened the team up for this Co-Operative Insurance Cup tie against Dundee. Stephen McKeown failed his fitness test earlier in the day which saw Ryan McSay drafted into a slot in the Thistle midfield. Up front Damon Gray and Mark Roberts were given the opportunity to impress with Simon Donnelly and Steven Lennon rested for this fixture although they both occupied a place on the Thistle bench.
After a subdued opening couple of minutes Dundee nearly took a fourth minute lead. Jonny Tuffey was only able to push an Antoine-Curier cut back into the path of Freddie Daquin and although Daquin connected only with fresh air the loose ball fell to Chris Pozniak whose shot was just inches over the bar.
Thistle's first effort on goal was a Damon Gray header from a Paul Paton cross that was well wide of Rab Douglas' goal.
Gray was much closer in the 12th minute. Collecting a through ball from Scott Chaplain Gray was left with just Douglas to beat but the Dundee keeper was able to make a blocking save and the game's first gilt edged chance had been missed.
Thistle were looking the better team at this point and in the 18th minute Marc Twaddle was able to escape the attention of the Dundee defence to send over a cross that was just a little too high for Gary Harkins who was unable to direct his head towards goal.
Dundee came close in the 27th minute when Jonny Tuffey had to be alert to push clear a Daquin corner that looked as if it might sneak in at Tuffey's near post.
Dundee were the next team again to have a glimpse of goal. In the 39th minute Jonny Tuffey was unable to gather a high ball with Pozniak's shot deflected for a corner. From the corner that followed a fierce Eddie Malone shot cleared the Thistle crossbar only by a matter of inches.
Dundee thought they had the lead in the 43rd minute when Antoine-Curier touched home an Eddie Malone cross but the Dundee player had strayed offside and his celebrations were cut short by the raised flag of the referee's assistant.
The half-time whistle sounded a short time later. Thistle had produced some neat football in the first 45 minutes but, Gray's 12th minute chance aside, perhaps lacking a cutting edge up front. Dundee meantime although never causing the Thistle defence any sustained problems looked to carry a little more of a threat in front of goal.
Thistle began the second half with Simon Donnelly on in place of Mark Roberts.
In the 51st minute Donnelly pushed the ball through to Damon Gray but from an angle Gray was only able to drag his shot well wide of goal. A Paul Paton cross soon after caused anxiety in the home defence as Thistle looked to score what was becoming increasingly likely to be a crucial first goal.
There were loud shots for a Dundee penalty in the 56th minute when Colin McMenamin found himself on the Dens Park truf at the edge of the Thistle box but referee Collum was quick to turn down the Dundee appeals for a spot kick.
The game was coming more and more open and Simon Donnelly saw a shot from the edge of the box deflected from the corner. When Dundee were unable to clear that corner Simon Donnelly sent the ball back into the box only to see Gary Harkins send his header wide of goal.
In the 58th minute Steven Lennon was introduced for Damon Gray.
From a free kick at the corner of the Dundee penalty area Simon Donnelly elected to shoot for goal and although he managed to direct the set piece on target Douglas was able to get across his goal and complete a comfortable save.
Scorer against Dunfermline at the weekend tried to make it two goals in two games in the 67th minute but Douglas was equal to his well hit shot from 20 yards out.
In the 75th minute Thistle took the lead. An Ian Maxwell cross shouldn't have caused Douglas any undue problems but he misjudged the flight of the ball and Maxwell's cross ended up in the back of th
e Dundee net.
Thistle's lead lasted all of three minutes. A cross from the Dundee left fell into the path of Paul McHale and he made no mistake with a powerful finish from about 10 yards out.
In the 82nd minute Marc Twaddle opened up the Dundee defence only to see his cross hacked clear.
With just six minutes of the 90 left Thistle made their final substitution when Kevin McKinlay came on for Scott Chaplain.
In the 86th minute Thistle won a penalty. Gary Harkins surged forward from midfield before slipping the ball through to Steven Lennon who promptly found himself dumped onto the ground with referee Collum having no hesitation in awarding Thistle their first penalty of the season. Harkins took the kick and sent Douglas the wrong way to once again send Thistle into the lead.
